Swiss Shorthaired Pinscher vs Pomeranian - Breed Comparison

The Swiss Shorthaired Pinscher is an ancient dog breed and dates back to 1780. It is believed that this dog breed is extinct, but that the German Pinscher of today is family of this dog breed. The dog used to be good on the farm as an all-purpose working dog.

When you look at the history of dogs, there are so many that have come and gone, never to be seen or heard of again. Other animals become extinct because of environmental factors, but with dogs it’s a bit different and most, like the Swiss Shorthaired Pinscher, died out simply because it became unfashionable.

Maybe the jobs that this dog was designed to do no longer existed and he died out because he was no longer needed.

Pomeranian dog Known as the Pom and classified as a toy dog breed, the Pomeranian comes from the Spitz dog from the Arctic regions. It is thought that the dog is descended from larger Spitz-type dogs, and more specifically the German Spitz.

It appears to be an ancient dog breed because there are recordings of its existence from 1764 already. This little dog is thought to have got his name from the area known as Pomeranian in Northern Poland as well as along the Baltic Sea, Germany.

The first breed club for this dog was established in England in 1891. Not long afterwards the first breed standard was written. In the standard published in 1998, The Pomeranian Dog is categorized in the German Spitz standard.

Described as a medium sized dog, the Swiss Shorthaired Pinscher is an extinct variety of the German Pinscher. Like that dog, the Swiss Shorthaired had a muscular, strong square build.

Possibly he also had his ears and tail docked at that time. It is thought that he stood between 40 – 48cm in height and weighed in the region of 11 to 15kg.

He had the typical looks of the Doberman Pinscher with short smooth hair in black and tan, short erect ears and a tail that was traditionally cropped. He was lean and muscular with brown eyes. They were working dogs in their day and were not considered the best dogs to have for the first time dog owner.

Tempeament

These dogs have always been hardworking, brave and fearless. They make good family pets too and get on well with children. They would have been adaptable too to life in the city or the countryside, so long as he got his exercise.

A well bred Swiss Shorthaired Pinscher was alert and a good guard dog, and one wonders why this dog with its good qualities died out.

This is such a sweet little dog, full of good cheer and with such a bright little face. He weighs between 1.5kg and 4kg and stands at anything between 17 and 28cm in height.

He is such a compact little fluff ball with sharp erect ears and a fox like appearance with a well feathered tail that curls up over the dog’s back.

The coat is thick and spritely, not lying flat but standing up around the dog. Coats can be nearly any color, but the most common is tan, reddish, orange or you get a mix of cream tan and black.

Temperament:

When you look into the bright little face of the Pomeranian Puppy, you can see that he is a true extrovert. He is social and has a huge personality. They’re bright, eager, feisty, loving and loyal.

Full of fun and very intelligent, they may be small and cute, but training and socialization will do him the world of good as it means you can take him anywhere with you and he’ll be well behaved. They grow attached to their owners and want to protect them.

They can be somewhat aloof with strangers and its this wariness around them that makes them good watchdogs. They get on well with children in the home and are prepared to make friends with other pets in the family too.

The Swiss Shorthaired Pinscher is no longer around but he would no doubt have made a good family pet. He would have wanted to protect his human family.

He was a stubborn, bold dog, and maybe socialization and training didn’t exist then, but he would have benefited from it.

He’s the kind of dog that would have adapted well to life in the city or the countryside, but you could never neglect his exercise needs. In the right environment, this Pinscher would have made a loving, loyal pet.

Pomeranians are such bright, friendly little dogs and they’re also active. These loving dogs are also intelligent so you can easily teach him some simple commands such as sit or lie down.

He won’t want to lie down for too long though because he’s full of beans.

He’s alert too so he makes a good watchdog. When you bring one of these dogs into your home as a pet and companion animal, you won’t be disappointed as he’s got a whole lot of love to give.

It is not too sure about the health status of this extinct dog but we can assume that he would have been prone to some of the typical dog illnesses there are.

Hypothyroidismd, bloat, cancer, cataracts, infections and obesity were just some of the diseases this dog would have had to contend with.

Hypothyroidism:

The thyroid glands in the neck produce hormones. These hormones affect the functioning of the body. Hypothyroidism in dogs is usually caused by shrinkage of the thyroid gland or inflammation.The disease occurs more often in Pinscher dogs.

You may notice a dulling or thinning of your dog’s hair, weight gain and reduced activity. Hypothyroid dogs also tend to battle more with ear- and skin infections. Veterinary treatment will become necessary.

Catarats:

It causes a whiteness,cloudiness or opacity on the lens of the eye. It's not painful for a dog but it can cause loss of vision. Surgery can improve vision for the dog.

Your little Pomeranian Puppy is a sturdy dog who isn’t going to battle too much with health issues. With good care such as good food and exercise, the Pomeranian can reach 12 – 16 years of age.

Some of the most common health issues you might come across

Luxating Patella:

This problem comes about when the ridges which form the patella groove in the knee aren’t deep enough to allow the patella to sit securely. This causes the patella to move out of the groove. While the muscles are contracted, the patella isn’t able to return to the correct position.

Eye Problems:

Pomeranians Dogs are prone to quite a few eye problems such as tear duct problems and cataracts. As a responsible dog owner, take your pet to the vet if you suspect eye problems.

Collapsed Trachea: 

The trachea carries air to the lungs and it can collapse. Your dog will have a chronic, dry cough and this can be brought about when people tug on their dog's leash.

Dental Disease:

Every little dog battles with teeth and gum problems which can lead to early tooth loss. When you brush your Pomeranian, make a point of checking inside his mouth too, as a bad tooth can cause pain but also all kinds of health problems.

Diet:

In those days of the Swiss Shorthaired Pinscher, maybe commercially manufactured dog foods weren’t available. If the dog were still around today, you would feed him dry kibble for medium sized dogs.

Probably the owners of these dogs fed them from the food they ate. It can be a good idea to feed any dog you have with some homemade food.

This can include things such as boiled chicken, brown rice or pasta and spinach, sweet potatoes and carrots. This is the kind of simple food that dogs love.

Being a farm dog in his day, he was probably tossed raw meat occasionally and this would have done him the world of good.

General Care:

Although the short, smooth hair of the Swiss Shorthaired Pinscher is looked upon as low maintenance, the dog would have needed a good brush twice a week just to keep it shiny and healthy.

After a hard day of work on the farm, the Swiss Shorthaired Pinscher would have required a nice warm, dry spot to sleep.

Grooming:

Pomeranians Dogs have a thick, double coat, so you will need to invest in a decent brush so that you can brush him. He is a shedder so this is an important part of grooming. Some people prefer to take the dog to the groomers and have the coat professionally cut.

Exercise:

Your cute little Pomeranian isn't the kind of dog to spend too much time asleep on the couch. He is energetic and full of beans and he will wait anxiously for you to take down his leash and take him on a walk. In indoors his bright little face will be watching yours to see if there’s any chance of a ball game.

Diet:

People never know if they should feed their dogs dry kibble, semi-moist or canned dog food. Homemade food is always good, but if you opt to also use commercially manufactured dog food, go for the good quality ones that have vitamins and minerals in them.

Every dog needs a good balance of protein, carbs, minerals, fats, vitamins and trace elements. People often get all worked up over feeding their pets when it can be so simple.

Use a high quality dry kibble, but now and then add some home-made cooked food into it as a treat – about once or twice a week. Boil some chicken, brown rice, sweet potato, carrots and spinach and add this in to the dry kibble.

Every now and then a little bit of raw meat will also do your pet the world of good. What could be more simple than this? Nutritious, tasty and healthy, and your pet will thrive on it.

Make sure he always has a bowl of fresh, cool water close by.